There are many classic books out there that it's the style they are written in that makes them classics. That or just the fact that they are very controversial. For being released in the 50s, this book was extremely controversial.

I liken this book to Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. What I mean by that is there is a lot of what I would characterize as "heretical babbling" in the book. Though Crime and Punishment is easily far more advanced in style and depth than Catcher in the Rye. The only character in the book that you actually learn anything about is Holden Caulfield, (the primary character) and the only way you learn anything about him is through his incessant whining. (I hate this, I hate that, he is a phony, etc) For a book to be good, I think you have to be able to relate to many characters in the book. To relate you must know something about them. If you strongly relate to Holden Caulfield, you're probably the type to assassinate someone famous.

Many people may consider this book a classic, though I'm not sure why. As noted above, I can only think they feel this way due to it's writing style, though I in no way consider that a reason for identifying it as one. This book could have easily been written by a 14 year old as the book has no real focus or plot. It's just about an off-kilter kid burning time in New York City. If it's a classic, I believe it's due to it's controversial nature and the time period that it was released.

Many believe this book was J. D. Salinger writing about his own life and feelings. That very well may be as D. J. Salinger was a bit of a recluse and like Holden Caulfield, a bit off-kilter.

Its a hard book to summarize so i will just say that its about AI, gaming, computer networks, and internet technology. It is a cyber thriller written by a first-time author who works in the technology field. According to those in the field, which i'm not, they say that his scenarios are generally very plausible and he is technically accurate.

I have to say, some of the scenerios got a little too much toward the end and the ending really pissed me off until i read that there is a sequal to it, 'Freedom'. Overall, i enjoyed reading this book. If you are a gamer and/or a tech geek you would probably enjoy this book.

Edit: Here is an overview of the book i got from one website....

Already an underground sensation, a high-tech thriller for the wireless age that explores the unthinkable consequences of a computer program running without human control--a daemon--designed to dismantle society and bring about a new world order

Technology controls almost everything in our modern-day world, from remote entry on our cars to access to our homes, from the flight controls of our airplanes to the movements of the entire world economy. Thousands of autonomous computer programs, or daemons, make our networked world possible, running constantly in the background of our lives, trafficking e-mail, transferring money, and monitoring power grids. For the most part, daemons are benign, but the same can't always be said for the people who design them.

Matthew Sobol was a legendary computer game designer--the architect behind half-a-dozen popular online games. His premature death depressed both gamers and his company's stock price. But Sobol's fans aren't the only ones to note his passing. When his obituary is posted online, a previously dormant daemon activates, initiating a chain of events intended to unravel the fabric of our hyper-efficient, interconnected world. With Sobol's secrets buried along with him, and as new layers of his daemon are unleashed at every turn, it's up to an unlikely alliance to decipher his intricate plans and wrest the world from the grasp of a nameless, faceless enemy--or learn to live in a society in which we are no longer in control. . . .

There are many classic books out there that it's the style they are written in that makes them classics. That or just the fact that they are very controversial. For being released in the 50s, this book was extremely controversial.

I liken this book to Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. What I mean by that is there is a lot of what I would characterize as "heretical babbling" in the book. Though Crime and Punishment is easily far more advanced in style and depth than Catcher in the Rye. The only character in the book that you actually learn anything about is Holden Caulfield, (the primary character) and the only way you learn anything about him is through his incessant whining. (I hate this, I hate that, he is a phony, etc) For a book to be good, I think you have to be able to relate to many characters in the book. To relate you must know something about them. If you strongly relate to Holden Caulfield, you're probably the type to assassinate someone famous.

Many people may consider this book a classic, though I'm not sure why. As noted above, I can only think they feel this way due to it's writing style, though I in no way consider that a reason for identifying it as one. This book could have easily been written by a 14 year old as the book has no real focus or plot. It's just about an off-kilter kid burning time in New York City. If it's a classic, I believe it's due to it's controversial nature and the time period that it was released.

Many believe this book was J. D. Salinger writing about his own life and feelings. That very well may be as D. J. Salinger was a bit of a recluse and like Holden Caulfield, a bit off-kilter.

George R.R. Martin is one of the best storytellers I have ever come across. Out of the 3 books I have read thus far, I believe this one had the best ending and it had a Fellowship of the Ring type of ending (even though I wish one character would have stayed dead). Also, "The Red Wedding" was sad and is one of the events that makes you hate some of the characters.

The Free Cities are going to be extremely interesting in the next book.

Unfortunately, once I read A Feast of Crows, I am going to join all the other poor souls who wait with alacrity for A Dance with Dragons and who knows how long that is going to be .

I'm bout to hit the Elyptical and start reading the 4th book in the series.

I'm currently about a third of the way through 'A Feast for Crows' and I don't think it's as good as the others. He keeps adding more POVs for characters I don't care all that much for. I'm not saying it's not good because it's still a great read, but it's not quite what the others were.

I read A Darkness More Than Night, City of Bones, and Lost Light. They're all part of the Harry Bosch series he does and I enjoyed them all a whole lot. I'd give each of them a 7.5-8.5 out of 10. They were all very good.

I'm currently reading The Closers, another Bosch novel, and then I've got, I think, 4 more Bosch novels after that to be totally caught up and then I'm going to start reading some other stuff again. I'm intending to read some stuff like Flags of Our Fathers and things like that upon catching up on these Bosch novels.

I'm currently about a third of the way through 'A Feast for Crows' and I don't think it's as good as the others. He keeps adding more POVs for characters I don't care all that much for. I'm not saying it's not good because it's still a great read, but it's not quite what the others were.

Maybe it'll pick up.

Interesting.

I've only read about 5 chapters but I actually like the 3 new POV characters that the 4th book introduces. Aeron Greyjoy seems odd but you have to have somebody in the Iron Lands to report what is going on there.

Two things I am wondering about is how much time has past since A Game of Thrones to A Feast of Crows and will there be some type of time skip at some point in the story.

I'm currently about a third of the way through 'A Feast for Crows' and I don't think it's as good as the others. He keeps adding more POVs for characters I don't care all that much for. I'm not saying it's not good because it's still a great read, but it's not quite what the others were.

Maybe it'll pick up.

After reading a lot more chapters, I can see why people are disappointed with A Feast of Crows.

I think the main problem is "crowding". Meaning, he has so many POV characters observing the same event. Also, some of the characters I have grown to like have not even had a POV chapter, you just hear whispers about what they are doing.